Pages

August 29, 2009

G129: Red Sox 3, Blue Jays 2

Buchholz (8.1-3-1-2-9, 107) was masterful, but was pulled after giving up a leadoff single and a line out in the ninth.

Hideki Ojakima -- facing two lefties, Adam Lind and Lyle Overbay -- allowed an RBI double (poof, there went the shutout) and an RBI single in only four pitches. Suddenly, Toronto had the tying run at first with only one out. Terry Francona went to Jonathan Papelbon, who retired Vernon Wells on a first-pitch foul pop-out to catcher, then got Kevin Millar to pop to third.

The Sox wasted a ton of scoring opportunities -- Romero (5.1-7-3-4-5, 116) was lucky he wasn't trailing 6- or 7-0 after three innings. Jacoby Ellsbury began the first with a double, took third on an attempted pickoff throw by catcher Raul Chavez and scored on Dustin Pedroia's single.

Boston stranded two runners in the second and left the bases loaded in the third. They also left the sacks full in the sixth, but they scored twice before doing so. Jason Bay and J.D. Drew walked, Alex Gonzalez rapped an RBI single, Pedroia (3-for-4, with a walk) singled to load the bases, and Victor Martinez walked to force in the third run. They ended the day with 12 LOB.

Ellsbury hit a stand-up triple in the eighth on a ball that sailed over Wells's head and rattled around in the triangle. LBJ took a wide turn around third, but DeMarlo Hale wisely stopped him.

The Yankees one-hit the White Sox 10-0 and the Rangers topped the Twins 3-0, so the standings stay the same: 6 GB in the East, 2.5 GA in the WC.

I think I figured out part of the problem. We normally buy the coals in the red package - regular ones, which we have to heat up on the stove.

I bought a pack at a different store in a silver pack, which say "instant light" which I've been lighting the same way as the other ones, and I think I'm JD Drewing them (had to make this post sox-relevant) - in other words, they are ON FIRE.

So, i guess the question is have you ever used these and how to light them. It says to light them with a lighter, but I've tried and it does nothing for me (I think...but I'm really impatient)

So, i guess the question is have you ever used these and how to light them. It says to light them with a lighter, but I've tried and it does nothing for me (I think...but I'm really impatient)

Tim, when you put the lighter to them, do they start crackling, get red where the lighter is, and then the red spreads to the rest of the coal? That's what should happen... I have no idea what those stove coals you talk about are.

Maybe I'll give the "instant" ones another try and not expect it to crackle/orange in 2 seconds. I dunno, how long does it normally take?

5 seconds, I guess. 10 max. Almost everyone I've known that has a hookah has tongs too, so you grab it with the tongs, open the window, light up one side, then quickly get it out of the window so all the smoke goes outside. Friends who smoke too much hookah often have their fingers become desensitised, though, so they don't use the tongs...

Ahh I see, so those are probably "instant" light ones...Yeah I use tongs for sure, I can't see touching it without tongs. That's ridiculous!

I don't have windows that open that much so I'll just do it under the stove fan. Good stuff, I'll give it a try. But for now, sticking with the regular coals. I'm not feeling adventurous enough right now.

If you somehow manage to hit into a double play with the bases loaded while trying to stretch a single into a double (I guess multiple rundowns and Mike Lowell would be involved) would that be considered stranding 4?

Hmm. I've always considered using liquor, that was probably a future question for you. Thanks! But if the bourbon makes it taste anything like the actual stuff, which I can't stand, that may not be a good idea.

Yeah, Tim, one important aspect of the liquor thing is that I love anise and bourbon. Well, maybe I wouldn't say I love bourbon, but it's usually good stuff. I prefer Scotch, but with the hookah, the sweetness of the anise/bourbon fits well.

I do enjoy the anise flavour, sambuca/ouzo/absinthe stuff. Whiskey is also one of my hard liquor faves. I've been on a vodka kick lately, trying out some Polish ones after I watched some documentary on the Poland-Russia "vodka wars" but I wouldn't try that in a hookah, since it has no actual flavours.

Oh, yeah, I'm sure they'll make a lot of money with it, but it doesn't mean it's not a waste. Maybe a waste of money isn't the right way to call it... But there's an ice rink in Boston already, so what's the fucking point?